Tag Archives: adult social care

Carers Reviews will continue to be delegated to CftC through to 2025

A Carer Reviews pilot project between the Adult Social Care Team and Care for the Carers (CftC) will continue for the next three years after the project was found to provide an overwhelmingly positive experience for carers.

Carer Reviews are used to better understand the impact of the caring role on the carer’s life and their own health and wellbeing.

Normally undertaken by Adult Social Care as a statutory requirement, the project piloted reviews being undertaken by CftC, the Carers Centre for East Sussex.

The pilot project found that:

  • carers felt the process was smooth and well organised
  • having CftC as the single point of contact for reviewing their needs as a carer worked well
  • needs could be met in a timely, co-ordinated and responsive way and they could receive the support they need when they most needed it

The extension follows an assessment of the service among a random sample of carers who had received Reviews since the pilot began.

The pilot project followed a workshop on Reviews that identified how some Carer Reviews were not being routinely completed.

Living Well in East Sussex

Together with its residents and partners, East Sussex County Council is developing a long-term strategy for adult social care: ‘Living Well in East Sussex’. To understand what really matters to local people, and so that the strategy can be informed and led by what is important to clients, carers and their families, the adult social care team has created an online survey:

This survey is the starting point for creating a strategy that will set the future direction of adult social care for everyone who has – or will have – care and support needs within the county, the projects and services that support them and their carers and families

Completing the survey also brings a chance to win one of four Love2Shop vouchers, each with a face value of £25. The survey will close on 18 September 2022.

Talking with East Sussex staff, independent sector care providers, NHS colleagues and wider stakeholders will follow in the autumn and winter, informed by what local people have told us about their priorities.

Time to celebrate our wonderful volunteers

Every year people across East Sussex make an immense difference to the lives of those around them through volunteering. This Volunteers Week (1 to 7 June) health and care organisations across East Sussex said a huge thank you to our fantastic volunteers, and the many and varied roles they take part in.

If you volunteer, a big thank you for all that you do, particularly during such a challenging year. It’s never too late to start volunteering and you can find out more here about local opportunities.

Volunteers have made a big impact for all of us over the last few years, with vital contributions to the successful roll out of COVID-19 vaccines and boosters. These fantastic volunteers are not alone, and there are countless ways volunteers have supported the communities around them. For example, volunteers at local food banks have been helping residents access the food they need, library volunteers have helped people stay connected and share the joy of reading, and volunteers with health and social care have shared their time, views and experiences to improve services for local people. More recently, hundreds of people in the county have also started welcoming guests from Ukraine into their homes.

If you’re feeling inspired to give volunteering a go, whether you have a few hours to spare or more, here are some examples of where to start:

Volunteering with the NHS

There’s lots of ways to get involved with the NHS, from GP Patient Participation Groups, to becoming a Community Ambassador, chatting to and offering refreshments to patients, delivering medicines by car, meeting and greeting visitors, and lots more.

Find out more about volunteering with:

Volunteering with the council

East Sussex County Council has a broad range of volunteering opportunities, from libraries and Children’s Centres to countryside volunteering and careers advice: Volunteering | East Sussex County Council

For example, if you have lived experience of getting support from Adult Social Care, or care for someone who has, you can join the People Bank and add your voice to the mix of people helping to shape services. Make a difference to social care services that support thousands of people.

Volunteering with local charities and community groups

There is a multitude of community, charity and voluntary organisations seeking volunteers across East Sussex, with roles to suit a range of interests and skills. Find an opportunity near you:

Make a difference to social care services that support thousands of people

Could you play a part in shaping the future of adult social care in East Sussex? East Sussex County Council (ESCC) are looking for people with recent lived experience of being supported by adult social care, or caring for someone who does, to join our new Adult Social Care (ASC) Citizens Panel.

Adult social care are in the early stages of developing new ambitious plans for adults who need care and support in the county, such as assessments, equipment, home care, direct payments, and care homes. While we don’t have an unlimited budget, it’s important to spend the money we do have wisely. By giving your voice and experience to the panel you’ll be making a difference to services used by thousands of people every year. So, if you’re passionate about making services the best they can be, we want to hear from you!

There will be lots of support on offer, including a named contact, training and expenses and reward payments, so please don’t worry if you don’t have experience of taking part in something similar before. We are always keen to bring in new voices, and for this project it is important that a diverse group of people are brought together so that everyone’s needs are considered when setting our priorities.

Find out more and apply for the ASC Citizens Panel

The closing date for applications is 24 June 2022.

You can send any questions about the panel and requests for information in other formats and languages to consultationASC@eastsussex.gov.uk. You can also call 01273 335 267 and leave a message.

Community nurses welcomed into St Mary’s House by social care colleagues

Conversation around a tableIn Eastbourne, nursing and social care teams have come together to trial working from a shared base for the first time.

The East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust District Nursing Team has moved to join Neighbourhood Support Team colleagues from East Sussex County Council at St Mary’s House in Eastbourne. Occupational Therapy, mental health and Health and Social Care Connect teams are already based within the building. Continue reading

Have your say on the savings proposals for Adult Social Care services

East Sussex County Council agreed its budget for 2018/19 at its meeting on 6 February. It will see the Council make savings of £17 million. This includes a budget reduction for Adult Social Care and Health of nearly £10 million.  Adult Social Care are asking for people’s views on how we are proposing to make the nearly £10 million in savings. What people tell us will help us to understand the impact and risks associated with our proposals. There may also be other ideas that we haven’t thought of.  If you use services that would be affected by the proposals you can speak to your provider or contact us. Frequently asked questions will be published on the website in March and before the consultation closes in April.  Have your say: www.eastsussex.gov.uk/ascsavings